Shadowed Worlds
by MortalShadowhunter
Summary: When William Herondale finds himself stuck in a SimKinnect video game called Shadowed Worlds, he needs to fight to get out without any other players holding him back. However, when he finds himself falling for another gamer and confused by his mysterious friend, he loses track of his goal and struggles to pull himself from his new virtual reality. ON HIATUS
1. Meeting Sophie

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ. This is almost exactly like Sword Art Online except with the Infernal Devices characters. I was going to put it as a crossover, but I figured that it would deter people who had only seen/read one and not the other. You don't need to know the storyline of Sword Art Online at all because I'm not using any of the characters. The way this story is based on SAO is because its all a video game that the TID characters are in. There are similar themes that are in this that are in SAO, but, in the end, I'm trying to change it up to be different than SAO. :)**

**This isn't going to be updated super often, seeing as I am busy with other stories, but I will try to make as many updates as I can between To Endure, To Love and school. If you can, please review if you have any suggestions because I don't know if people would find this interesting/unique.**

**Love, love,MortalShadowhunter**

Pulling on the SimKinnect onto his head and over his mess of black hair, Will sighed, laying down on his back on his bed. The hardest part of the Shadowed Worlds game was falling asleep or at least becoming tired enough for his conscious to be transported to the in-game Idris beginning town. Though he had been a beta tester for the pre-edition, he still had to set everything up, which was a huge pain.

As the system calibrated his taste, touch, feel, sight, and hearing, Will stared forward at the little lights that seemed to sparkle in his vision. When he was in the game, it felt so real and he felt so alive that it scared him that he would become too accustomed to the in-game life and never want to leave. Sometimes he would play nonstop for days until he finally managed to pull himself from the game. Despite his concerns, he still played because it was addictive and it offered him chances that would never appear to him in the real world. As he finally calibrated completely and had selected language and setting options, he found himself in a large room, one that everyone had to go through before they started.

Picking an avatar and species had always been Will's least favorite part because of his indecisiveness. Thanks to new technology, however, and his insanely good looks, he had the SimKinnect scan his real-life figure and compute it into the game. He had always been confident when it came to his appearance and didn't bother changing it on his online profile. Besides, if anyone he knew saw him on they game, they would be sure to recognize him.

Reaching forward, Will opened the species options; warlock, vampire, werewolf, Nephilim, human, or faerie. He grinned, choosing Nephilim and watching as his mundane outfit was replaced by a heavy black coat, dark pants, and a long, dark sword that was strapped to his back. Then, choosing his username, he opened the menu and was instantly transported to Idris.

It was amazing there; buildings floating like islands and markets that spanned across fields and prairies. It almost had a modernized medieval feel to him, with castles, dungeons, and flags waving through the air. Drawing his sword, Will instantly made his way towards the Field of Shifters which had monsters that he could easily level up on.

The one main advantage he had being a beta tester was that he already knew where almost everything was in the pre-edition and the best ways to attack, level up, and tame. Running quickly past the people in the markets, he made his way towards the Field of Shifters where there were sure to be monsters lurking around.

Eidolon demons had never scared him and, at their pitifully low levels, he killed them easily in a whirlwind of blows. Drawing Leliel, his sword, from his sheath, he laughed when an Eidolon demon Changed into a fellow Nephilim wielding a bow and arrow. Before the demon could react, he leapt forward, slicing it's head cleanly off and whirling around to face another demon who had snuck up behind him.

"Honestly. You never learn." Will said to the demon, though they couldn't process much of what he was saying. "I kill you every single God damned time and you still think you can beat me. It's utterly amusing." Blocking an attack from the Eidolon demon effortlessly, he pulled a dagger from his item pouch, shoving it up into the demon's chest. With a flicker and a fading of light, the demon vanished, leaving a sack of coins and a health potion in it's wake. "Lookie here. I leveled up to level six already and I only just started. It's almost too easy."

Picking up the coins, Will entered them into his account and the health potion into his items bag. Twirling his sword in his hand, he looked sideways at the grassy plains again. They were sure to start respawning and, when night falls, they'll become stronger and their worth increased.

Settling down at a tree, Will leaned his head back against the bark, stabbing Leliel into the ground. He hissed when the sword fell to the ground, a sign above the spot he had stabbed saying: Immortal object. Instead, he laid his sword across his lap, waiting for the sun to fall behind the horizon and the sky to darken.

The sun, the warmth and the cool air; it seemed all too real, but it almost felt like it had been his long lost home.

And so he let sleep take him.

**~~ooo~~**

"Damn it." Will swore under his breath, rubbing his eyes and rising to his feet. The air was pitch black around him and all he could see were the glowing red eyes of Eidolon demons on the Field of Shifters. They hadn't noticed him yet so maybe, just maybe, if he moved quietly enough and stealthily enough..."Shit!" Will cursed when something hit his back. There was no pain, but a hot pressure where he knew he had been hit with something. Twisting around, he saw an enormous Eidolon demon standing in front of him with smaller Eidolon faeries flanking it.

Glancing at his health bar, Will swore again when he saw it was almost at yellow. Holding his sword in his hand tightly, he slashed at the incoming demons. One by one they fell like dominos, their eyes fading and limbs twitching. Pulling his arm back, he flung his sword forward like a spear, piercing the enormous Eidolon demon in the head, watching as it fell to the ground.

Hurrying over, Will pulled the sword out and prodded the head of the dying demon. It gurgled before fading away, leaving more potions in it's wake. "Health potion. Another health potion. An apple." Will listed, sifting through the items the demon's had dropped. "And five hundred coins. God, you are all awful monsters. I at least expected more from killing all of you. At least I'm now at level," Will opened his stats, "fourteen. It was worth it, I guess."

"You're a good fighter." A voice said above him, soft and sweet. "Who are you?"

Will looked up, seeing a pixie floating above him with thin, glittering wings. He smirked. "I'm anything you'd like me to be, sweets."

"Oh, damn you." The pixie said in frustration, floating to the ground. Instantly, her wings folded into her back and she crossed her arms over her short, bright blue, belted tunic. "I'm not here to flirt. I just want to survive."

"Why not both?" Will asked shamelessly, looking away from her in boredom. "What brings of low-level like you out here?"

"I need a guild." She replied, taking out a feathered bow and arrow. "I'm new at this and, by the way you killed those demons, you're not-"

"All the more reason why _I_ don't need a guild." Will replied, walking away from her and slinging his sword onto his back. "If you want to join a guild, I'm the wrong one to ask. Go to the markets or somewhere else. I'd rather not have you and your low-level skills slow me down."

She caught his arm, holding him back. "Just for a few days. I'm confused at all the skills and where the best places are to get weapons and etcetera. Just a little help? You can keep all the items I get from killing the demons."

"That is if they don't kill you first."

The pixie narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "In the end, we're all fighting the same thing, aren't we? Bosses and dungeons; _they_ will get in our way. It will be your loss if you don't train me."

Hesitating for a moment, Will turned around. "Fine. Two days, exactly forty eight hours and then we're done. Got it?"

"Got it." The pixie chirped, holding out her hand. "It's a deal."

Will shook her hand curtly, sighing. Going into his menu, Will selected her figure, inviting her to a guild. Gladly accepting it, she smiled, putting her arrow back in it's sheath. Looking at her username on her accept message, he glanced over at her. "Miss Sophie. So, first things first..."

**~~ooo~~**

"So, this is the best place for weapons?" Sophie asked, looking up at the small shop in front of her.

"For beginners." Will nodded. "This is where I got all my swords in the beta testing. Not only are they the easiest to-"

"You're a beta tester?" Sophie asked, her eyes widening. She took a small, almost imperceptible step back from him. "Are you one of those people who kill for fun? That's the rumor of the beta testers."

"Of course not. Why kill the pawns when you can use them?" Will snorted, stepping into the shop and pulling her inside. "Back in the field, when I showed you how to fight efficiently with the bow, how much did you level up and how much money do you have?"

"Level five and," Sophie tapped her in-game screen, "Six hundred coins."

"Ah, just enough." Will said, leaning against the case of weapons. "Lightworm. Where are you?"

A tall, lanky figure came up from behind a curtain, yawning and pushing his sandy brown hair back. "Mister Herondale. Back again to wreck my shop?"

"Ahh, I would, but it seems like I have upgraded from beginner status."

"You haven't changed since the beta testing."

"Neither have you."

Sophie looked from the boy behind the counter and Will. "You're both beta testers?"

"Yes." They said simultaneously before turning back to each other. Will cleared his throat. "She needs a new bow. Perhaps one with more balance and more power. She needs the best you can make in less than six hundred coins."

Stomping her foot angrily, Sophie poked Will's shoulder hard. "Hey, are you going to spend all my coins on a bow I have never tested?"

"You'll thank me later." Will answered, pushing her hand away. Turning back to the weapons manager, he rested his elbow against the counter. "I'm counting on you, Gabriel, to make a good bow." Pulling the hood on his long coat over his head, Will grinned again. "I would hate for something to happen like it did last time though, I doubt you would do the same thing to a poor, low-level like her."

Gabriel glared at him. "You may be at a higher level, but I assure you, being a weapons maker makes it so I wield swords better than you do. I really don't think you would want to duel now, would you?"

"Of course not. That would hinder your efficiency when it came to making the bow. However," Will said placidly, pushing a curl of hair from his face, "if there weren't such important tasks waiting for you, I would be sure to accept and win."

"Arrogant as always, William Herondale." Gabriel muttered, gathering supplies and moving a little further back to where an iron table and furnace was set up. Pressing his hand to the furnace and then to the metal, it seemed to mold the wires and silver into a bow by itself, gleaming and reddening with heat. Sophie gasped, raising her hand to her mouth.

"How does he-?"

"Weaponry skills." Will explained. "He's not skilled in any attack skills, defense skills, cooking skills, crafting skills or much else, but I do admit that he is one of the highest level weapon maker here. The beta testers all have an advantage. We know how to level up and we know already what our skills are; it would be unwise to challenge one of us."

"It just seems like it-"

"Seven hundred coins." Gabriel said, holding the bow in his hand.

Will scowled. "I said no more than six hundred. She doesn't have seven hundred coins."

"Six hundred and a health potion." He sighed, setting the bow onto the counter."

"But-"

"Or no bow."

"Fine." Will spat, tossing him a health potion sourly as Sophie gave him the coins. She took the bow in her hands with caution, her fingers running over the bow in awe. Smiling, she held the bow to her chest.

"Thank you!" She put her bow in her item pouch with her old one, clasping her hands out in front of her. "I'll be sure to kill the monsters quickly with this one. I'm happy I have a new weapon."

"Speaking of new weapons, I haven't gotten a new sword. I lost my old one in the pre-edition." Will grumbled, taking his sword in hand. "I'm sure you know, Gabriel, that we must either stay on everyone's good side or be strong to protect us from jealous players. We probably shouldn't talk as freely of our status or else we might be shunned or hunted."

"Do you need a sword?" Gabriel inquired, ignoring Will's lecture about beta testers.

"I'll get mine elsewhere." Will said bitterly, taking Sophie's wrist. "Lets go. It's not safe at night."

"But I thought the towns were a safe zone-"

"Yes," Will paused at the door, "but only in the daytime."


	2. Scarred

**Author's Note: By the way, just clearing things up, this is NOT going to be a WillxSophie story. She's just going to be considered as a friend. And, not all the chapters will be from Will's perspective either.**

"Two rooms for the night. One for me, and one for Soph here." Will said, flashing the hotel owner a coy smile. She giggled, hiding behind a curtain of purple hair.

"My name is _Sophie_." Sophie said between gritted teeth, prodding Will with the tip of her bow. Will raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll call you whatever I'd like to. I'm the one helping you, after all. I'm also the one who's buying you a hotel room and feeding you tonight." Will pointed out, before turning back to the girl behind a desk. She handed him the keys, her face still beet red. "That'll be two hundred for each room for the night, right?"

"Yep. And if you need anything to be fixed or have any trouble, just come back to the front desk and ask." The girl said, tucking her hair behind her ear and taking the money from Will. "Have a nice stay!"

"Oh, I will. Come on, Soph." Will took Sophie's wrist, dragging her up the stairs and into a hallway. Giving her the key, he pointed at her room. "Your room is right here. I'm staying right here," he tapped his door, "so if there's any trouble, just yell or knock or scream." He grinned. "I have a soft spot for damsels in distress." Noticing her fuming expression, he held a hand up as if to silence her. "Don't worry, though. I'm not after you. For all I know, you could be a forty-year old man who is pretending to be a twelve-year-old girl."

"I'm twenty and I'm not a man!" She put her hands on her hips, pouting, her pointed ears twitching.

"Dear me, now I definitely wouldn't go after you. That _whopping_ two-year age difference is definitely a turn off." He said sarcastically, smirking at her face. "But really, my older sister would be about your age and that would just feel so wrong."

"Would be..?" Sophie echoed, her expression softening. Will watched her as she fidgeted nervously at her tunic, her teeth biting into her bottom lip. "I...Let's eat." She changed the subject and Will, catching her change in attitude, sighed and reached into his item pouch. Shoving a small package into her hand, Will turned around, jiggling the key into the lock. Opening his door, he stood in the door frame for a moment, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Sleeping and food will help restore some health that you lost yesterday. It's late. I think we left the shop at around eleven. It would be wise to sleep now." Will sighed, shutting the door behind him. Leaning against the shut door, he bowed his head down, fatigue infiltrating his body. Going to the menu, he put his coat in his inventory, stretching his arms as it slowly faded from his body. Collapsing onto the bed, Will stifled a yawn, taking bread from his bag and biting into it. Slowly, trickles of health points filled his bar little by little.

Checking his level, Will frowned. Level seventeen was certainly better than most people's level, but in order to kill the bosses, he would have to level up more. He would have to work harder, attack faster, and get more money; he regretted agreeing to train that Sophie girl.

He contemplated logging off, but the log out button that every character had on their right sleeve required too much effort to push for Will at the moment. Instead, he slipped under the covers, holding his sword to his chest and closing his eyes. It was easy to sleep in the game; so easy and simple to let go of everything and his vision started to fog with exhaustion.

A scream split through the air and that fog was blown away with shock. Leaping from his bed, Will hurtled out of his room and into Sophie's, seeing her in the corner of the room, waving a short dagger. She looked pathetic, but she looked determined. In front of her was another player, who was obviously a werewolf, snarling at her and on all fours, only half into his wolf form. With pale blond hair and green eyes, the werewolf made the most intriguing sight, but he was terrifying the spit out of Sophie and it would be cruel to just leave her there.

"Good evening, _dog_. Can I help you with anything?" Will asked dryly, pushing the tip of his sword into the player's back. Straightening, the werewolf looked over at Will, his sharp eyes glinting and his body growing more human.

"Well, well. Aren't you just charming?" The werewolf said ravishingly, a murderous glint in the eye that wasn't obscured by a glass monocle. He grinned, his pearly white teeth gleaming in the dark. "Now give me your inventory."

"And why should I do that?" Raising the sword to the player's throat, Will narrowed his eyes, smirking. "You wouldn't want me to punish you for being a bad dog, now, would you?"

"Oh, darling, it gives me shivers to hear you say such an intimate thing." The werewolf, who was regrettably good looking, crouched out of the way of Will's sword, springing forward and barreling into Will.

"Good God-" For a moment, Will laid there, stunned, before whipping around and slicing with his sword. The graphics in the game were amazing, save for the fact that there was no satisfying drawing of blood when someone got hurt. There was only a red line across the werewolf's cheek, standing out across his pale skin. Throwing a dagger at Will, it imbedded in his wrist, draining his health to right above yellow.

However, despite the skill of the werewolf, he was obviously a low-level character even if Will couldn't check the player's stats. Stabbing the wolf in the chest, Will pushed forward until the blade was visible on the other end. To his surprise, the player just tore away from the sword, his health at red. "Tootles, Nephilim character." The player panted, still grinning though. "Name's Woolsey. I hope to see you again soon." And with that, Woolsey swung out of the room, laughing as if he found being close to dying particularly amusing.

"Are you alright?" Will inquired before he could stop himself. He glanced over at Sophie, who nodded stiffly. "Good. You forgot to lock your door. It was a careless mistake, one that you shan't make again or else you'll die. I mean, you'll come back to life but..."

"I'm fine. I'll lock the door when you go back to your room." Sophie said shakily, rising to her feet. "Thank you."

Will shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Before Will exited, Sophie called after him. "Good night."

Clicking the door closed, Will hesitated, the muffled remnants of a 'good night' only partly obscuring the silence.

**~~ooo~~**

"You are far too distracted." Will scolded, biting into the rest of his apple. The food, he admitted, tasted amazing, but it only created the illusion of being full and he knew that he would have to log out sometime to actually eat so he didn't starve. Tossing the core out onto the grass, he watched as it hit the ground and faded away into nothingness. He sighed, pulling out a bottle of water from his items pouch and taking a gulp.

"Well, what am I doing wrong?" Sophie asked in frustration, gripping her bow until her knuckles turned white. Drawing an arrow from her quiver, she set it at the strings, pulling back and firing at the makeshift target on the tree. Despite the balance of the bow, she missed, accidentally hitting an apple and watching as it fell and landed on Will's head. He scrunched his nose, as the pierced apple rolled beside him with the arrow still through its core. With a small flicker, the apple disappeared, leaving the arrow lying on the ground.

"That would have been good aim...If you had aimed for the apple, which, you weren't because I told you to aim at the target." Sinking down at the tree, Will yawned, stretching out his arms and putting them behind his head. "You're too focused on hitting the target rather than feeling the bow out. It's new and you haven't quite gotten accustomed to its weight and feel." Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, smiling contentedly to himself as a breeze ruffled his hair. "I could live here. It's a wonderful place, isn't it?"

"It is, but I don't see how that will help me fight. I'm bound to shoot one of my colleagues or stab myself on accident if I don't get any better." Sophie complained, taking another arrow from her quiver and firing it at the tree. It hit the outermost ring on the target before falling to the floor with a rustle of grass. "I need to get better. After that player last night, I'm scared that I'll die."

"You'll respawn."

"I'll lose my items."

"You hardly have any items."

"But still."

Will opened one eye, staring at her in scrutiny. "Is this your first time on this game? The first time of yours using the SimKinnect?"

Sophie lowered the bow to her side, grimacing. "Yes...so?"

Will made a frustrated sound, rolling over and pressing his face into the grass. "Good lord. You're a low-level and a noob? What have I gotten myself into? Most people are at," he checked world stats, "level eleven, and you're hardly past level six. We need to do something about it because having you at such a low-level will do awful things to my confidence." Pushing himself up, Will caught her arm, dragging her across the forest with ease. Failing to move her out-of-the-way of an impending rock and tree, she tripped and bashed over multiple things, ending up with a few lost health points.

"What's down there?" Sophie asked with enormous eyes, looking down into the cave in front of them.

"Dragons, mostly, though there might be a few Moloch demons. We should hunt them before anyone else gets here, seeing as only a limited amount spawn between every update." Will said, lowering himself into the cave.

"Might as well. After all, I only have thirty four more hours with you for training." Sophie chirped, half running, half falling down into the cave. She landed awkwardly, her brown hair hanging over her face in a tangled mess. Landing beside her, Will drew his sword, which he made a mental note to replace, and holding it in front of him in caution.

"If I remember, the pre-edition had ten dragons in here and three Molochs. I don't know why they would change the numbers, so I would assume they were the same. The Moloch demons are poisonous, though, and will not heal like a normal wound would." Will muttered in boredom, turning the corner and picking up a rock from the ground. Throwing it, it landed in the middle of a clearing, two dragons materializing in it. "You handle the left one, I'll get the one on the right."

"Got it!" Sophie agreed, aiming at the dragon with careful precision. Will, on the other hand, hurled his sword into the dragon's chest, watching as the health went down by half. Pulling the sword out and swinging onto the dragon's back, Will stabbed down before being thrown off with an angry shake. He only lost a few health points, though, and so he preceded to slash with carefully aimed blows, killing the dragon with ease. Sophie, not to his surprise, was still working on her dragon, unaware of the Moloch demons solidifying behind her.

With a yell, Will charged at the Moloch's, skewering one on his sword. One lashed out, narrowly missing his leg by a hairbreadths. After a particularly fatal stab, one of the demon's faded, though two other Moloch's stood in it's wake. Deflecting a ray of fire from it's gaping jaws, he sliced its head off raggedly with a choppy blow with his sword. The familiar sign in the air hung with bright lights, showing Will's progression from level seventeen to eighteen. Turning around and beginning to brag to Sophie, he winced.

The dragon she had been fighting had disappeared and a dead Moloch demon faded in front of her, but she had a long cut on her cheek from a Moloch's claw, draining her health. Tossing her a health potion, she downed it quickly and her health rose back up to green. However, unbeknownst to her, the scar had been permanently etched into her avatar's features, twisting half her face into a contorted mask.


	3. Blades

"Oh...my...Goodness, gracious..." Sophie made a choked cry in the back of her throat, looking at her reflection in a puddle. Raising her fingers to the ragged part of her cheek, she grimaced. "I...I look awful. There must, must be someway that I can fix it. I'll reset my avatar. I'll log off and-"

"You can't. It's impossible." Will said bluntly, though a small twinge of sympathy went through him. He set his apple core down beside him, watching as it faded and disappeared. "Your avatar is synced with your body and mind so, if you log onto any other person's SimKinnect, you'll automatically be recognized as your character. There is no way to reset anything besides getting a new game or personally asking the graphic designer to manipulate your account, which is near impossible." Crossing his legs, Will ran his hand along the sharp side of the blade on his lap. "But don't worry. I've heard that men these days are into women with scars because it makes them look-"

A loud crack split through the air and Will saw himself lose a few meager health points. Sophie, her face red with embarrassment and anger, had slapped him, her palm red with the sudden contact. "It isn't funny of you to poke fun at my new scar."

"I wasn't." Will lied in frustration, rubbing his cheek though it didn't actually hurt. "I was just trying to be reassuring. I mean, you could try logging out but I doubt it would work."

"That's what I said before." Sophie said angrily, though she looked a bit guilty that she had hit her 'tutor of sorts'. "Erm...How do I log out?"

Will let out a bark of laughter, his blue eyes glittering with amusement. "You don't know- where the- log out- button is?" Will said between fits of laughter. "How pathetic." Pointing to his sleeve, Will grinned at her devilishly. "Right here. You press the two metal receptors with your middle and fore finger and then a screen should pop up asking whether or not you want to be logged out."

"Thanks." Sophie said grudgingly, doing what Will had showed her. He watched as her figure faded from the game, disappearing with a click of light. Then, after a few tedious moments, she reappeared, her face scar no different than before. Looking eagerly into the puddle, her expression fell, her usually perky face turning a solemnly pale shade of light purple and pink. Will, on the other hand, looked utterly delighted. He loved purple, especially mauve. When he made that known to Sophie, she threw a rock at him which, seeing as it was only a small pebble, did little to his health. Will smiled even bigger.

"Perhaps that will be your talent. Slapping and pelting people to death." Will mused, twirling a strand of hair, which was in desperate need of cutting, between his fingers. He raised an eyebrow when Sophie lifted up another rock, a bigger one this time, and threatened to throw it at him. "Of course, if you did end up killing me, I wouldn't help train you."

"Oh, bother. Then you might as well make yourself useful." Sophie complained, putting her hands on her hips.

"Fine. If the lady insists." Jumping to his feet, Will waved her along, only a little jealous that she had wings to carry her along. Granted, she didn't fly very fast and couldn't for very long, but still; flying had to be fun. Nevertheless, he scaled the plains easily, the video game assisting him at jumping at greater heights and running at faster speeds. Leaping across the stream, he felt a spray of water at his ankle, dampening his boots. Rolling when he hit the ground, he just laid there, waiting for Sophie to catch up. "Come one. We should go fast. I presume people will be spreading towards these lands for leveling up. Hopefully, we can get there before the others."

"Wait. For. A. Moment." Sophie panted, landing in an exhausted mess beside Will. Sighing, Will closed his eyes.

'Fine..."

The peace was instantly broken when Sophie pushed off of him, hurtling through the air and off into the distance, her laugh and regained spirits ringing through the air. Standing up, clearly surprise, Will blinked. She was so much like his sister, it hurt; the way she talked, acted...everything. Smirking, he sprinted after her, his feet seemingly not touching the ground at all. That was one of the benefits of being a Nephilim in the game. Not only were they faster, but they were stronger and took less damage, making up for the fact that they had no real special power. Running harder, he saw a pinprick of Sophie in the distance, hovering over a Hellhound. Drawing her bow, she fired at it, hitting it and killing it in one shot. He didn't tell her that they were weak demons; she looked to proud.

"I aimed correctly!" She smiled shyly, slinging her bow over her back.

"Yes, you did. Now, we might as well level up here." Will said, taking his sword out from his sheath. "Besides, there is an NPC weapons store not far from here that is sure to have high level weapons."

"Got it. I'm at level...nine."

"Humph. Progressing, I guess."

"I hope so." She said, her tone suddenly wistful before growing determined. "I'm ready to fight."

**~~ooo~~**

Utterly fatigued, for real this time, they both sat against a tree, the bright sun casting dramatic shadows across the land. Opening his stats, he smiled contentedly. He hadn't told Sophie that, while she had to take a break in the middle of their hunting, that he had cleared the Poisoned Forest a mile ahead of their journey. Whilst hunting, he had overheard a conversation between two players he didn't know, talking about how beta players couldn't be trusted. _Perhaps I should keep the fact that I'm a beta player a secret_, Will thought with a frown, his arms sore from combat.

Though he was happy he had reached level twenty three, he knew that, if anyone found out about his unusually high strength and skills, they would be after him. Glancing over at Sophie, he peered at her stats that she had currently pulled up. She was at level twelve. Not as high as he had wanted her to be, but it was a start.

Forcing himself to stand up, he held out his hand to Sophie. "Come on. We should get into the town near here and buy supplies. Plus, I need a new sword."

Taking his hand and hauling herself up, Sophie rubbed her eyes. "Now?"

"Yes, now." Will ordered though he admitted that he was just as tired as she was. Fluttering low to the ground with stuttering wings, Sophie yawned, trying to stay awake as they headed towards the town. Small houses and shops rose in the distance, their thatched roofs and glittering stone fountains making it a comforting sight. Maple trees as orange as the sunset painted the hills around the small town, giving the floor and orange glow.

Everywhere they turned, people gave Sophie's scar rude stares. Ducking down to hide her scar, she hung her hair across half her face, wincing as if them looking at her gave her physical pain. Opening the door to a weaponry store, Will raised an eyebrow at the dark ambiance. A girl rose from her chair, making her way to them.

"All rapiers are currently half off. Also, new helmets and gloves are in the top cases; buy them before they sell out. Can I interest you in one of them?" The girl asked without much interest, drawing her mouth to the side.

"Good lord. Rapiers? What am I going to do with those? Poke people to death?" Will snorted, his tiredness making him slip into a foul mood. "Ha. I need an actual sword that has-"

"That section." The girl pointed to his left.

"I need a custom made sword." Will said, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't want to have a sword that someone else already has, now, would I? I need a one handed sword made with the best materials you have."

"But...that," the girl widened her eyes, "that would cost a fortune!"

"A fortune that I'm sure I can pay for. Have it done when I am back from lunch." Will demanded, giving her a sharp look. "And I do expect the highest quality. Come on, Sophie."

"You've been dragging me everywhere and, once we get to someplace, we are already on the move to somewhere else!" Sophie said as Will pulled her from the shop. He ignored her, dragging her across the street despite her mumbles of exasperation. He was starving, anyway, and he was sick of apples. Thankfully, there was a bakery nearby that sold concession snacks and breads, which tasted undeniably better than any food he had in the real world. Well, except for the chocolate cake from the restaurant around the corner of his house, but that was only _a little_ better than the food he had eaten so far in the video game world.

After he had finished buying two sandwiches from the counter, he patted a chair beside him for Sophie, holding out a sandwich for her. Taking it hesitantly, she whispered her thanks, sitting down and biting into it. Between a mouthful, Will looked sideways at her, holding his sandwich in one hand. "After I get my sword, we should go to the Poison Falls, which, unfortunately, is near the edge of the first floor map. They're still coming out with updates."

"That's what I mean!" Sophie exclaimed, swallowing her bite. "We end one thing and begin another."

"We have thirty one hours left." Will pointed out, shrugging. "You might as well make the most of it."

"I guess." Taking another bite, Sophie chewed for a moment before turning back to him. "How many floors are there?"

"Well, there is one below this one that we call the Hellfire Realm because it is death to low-level who goes there. The Hellfire Realm is a very difficult plain. Since it's beneath the main floor, this floor, we say it is level zero. Above this level," Will said, looking up, "is the Aerial Heights- a heaven of sorts, people say...if you consider heaven to be a place where winged angels, who are nearly impossible to kill, are after you every second of the day. But...the best loot is on that level."

"Oh...Then what is the main purpose of the game?"

"Become the strongest, basically." Will muttered between a mouthful of bread. He never knew digital food could taste this real. "Did you get any items from fighting today? We did have an agreement when it came to loot."

"Here. Take it." Sophie sighed, polishing off her sandwich and going to her inventory. Giving him a crystal, she slumped back into her seat. "I think its for swords, so I have no use for it."

"It is. You can combine it with a blade to make it stronger." Will took the crystal, putting it into his inventory as he shoved the last bite of the sandwich into his mouth. "My sword ought to be done by now. It doesn't take long to make."

Walking back across the street, he entered the weapons shop once more. The girl, just finishing up the sword, picked it up carefully in her hands, setting it on the counter. "Two thousand coins."

Will's jaw dropped. "Two thousand?" He widened his eyes for a more dramatic effect. "That's it? How cheap." Laughing inwardly at her confused and bewildered expression, he tossed her a bag of coins, taking the sword from her grasp. As if it were cued, the door opened and a lanky figure came through. Will and the figure instantly caught each other's stares, their eyes narrowing.

"William." The figure spoke, apparently knowing who Will was.

"Gideon." Will hissed smugly, his hand tightening on the hilt of his new sword. "I saw your brother. Still mad you didn't get into beta?"

"Ha. You think that your new sword and so called, 'beta skills' will help you." Gideon sneered. "When really, I could win against you any day."

"Oh, really? Is that a challenge I hear?"

Gideon reached to his side, drawing his sword from it's sheath and studying it. "Duel, in the town square. Five minutes. I'll be waiting."

Will grinned. "So will I."


	4. Archangel

"You're going to lose, Lightworm." Will hissed, holding his sword in front of him. Accepting Gideon's duel, Will swiped up at the green light in the air, a small timer appearing above their heads. By then, a crowd had gathered around them, leaving a large space for them to battle. Whispering excitedly, many passerby's paused to watch, making bets and staring curiously at the two duelers.

"As if." Gideon laughed, his green eyes glinting. Will narrowed his own; he had never cared for the Lightwood brothers, whether in real life or in video games, and couldn't wait to wipe that sneer off his face. Raising his sword, Will did a mock bow at Gideon before turning around, getting into position. "Fight to the first red or fight to the death? I would just say fight to the death, it makes it much easier."

"Fight to the red health." Will said, obviously just wanting to contradict Gideon. "I wouldn't want to have to kill you, now, would I?"

Gideon curled his lip in disdain. "As if that would happen." He said right before the timer went off.

There had always been something elegant about the clashing of swords, reflecting light off like shattered glass. Even in a video game, it was no less entrancing than it was then. Gideon, he admitted, was an adept fighter, though Will blocked his attacks with ease, his arms feeling as if they were moving by themselves. Drawing his sword back, Will slashed forward, hitting him across the cheek, leaving a red mark. Gideon's health went down to yellow and Will felt a sense of triumph. Deflecting a fast blow from his opponent, Will hooked a foot underneath him, tripping him easily and sending his sword skidding across the slick, stone floor.

The crowd had gone up into an uproar of excited voices, their chatter ringing across the town. Recovering quickly, Gideon grabbed his sword, stabbing at Will. He hit Will's leg, though it hardly skimmed him, creating a small line. Grinning, Will lunged, sinking the blade into Gideon's shoulder and forcing him down. Pulling it out and holding it to his throat, Will tightened his hand murderously on the hilt, pressing the point into Gideon's skin. "I won. Your health is at red and I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Of course, the whole crowd is watching, so, I wouldn't." Forcing Gideon to his feet, Will smirked. "That was a quick duel, wasn't it?"

"I call playing winner!" Someone called from the crowd. Gideon grabbed his sword, stalking off into the crowd with a scowl.

"Next time, William. You only won because you're a cheat." Gideon called out. Will pretended not to notice and instead turned back to the crowd around him, his sword clutched in his hand. Slowly, his mouth turned upwards in the corners, a grin ghosting across his lips.

Soon, he was flooded with duel requests, the more competitive players convinced that they could bring him down. Player by player, Will brought them down, easily defeating them with simple sword attacks and trickery. With every player he fought, the bets started piling up in his favor, the buzzing and shouts from the audience dampening his opponent's spirits. Sporting eyes as hungry as wolves, Will dueled savagely; winning the only thing on his mind.

Sophie had been watching from the balcony of their hotel, perched on a chair with her bow in her hand. Glancing up at her, Will spared little of his worries that he was wasting their practice time; he was having too much fun winning. It had become a sport, of sorts, one that involved violence and his spotless streak of wins.

He found it amusing at how riled up the audience was getting, competitive duels having apparently become very popular in the game. His skill, with each battle, had gone up, his experience points filing into his level bar.

Suddenly, the crowd went utterly silence and Will swore that if someone dropped a pin, he would be able to hear it. A tall, rangy boy in a white cloak and boots stepped out from the crowd and into the makeshift ring. His outfit looked almost like a photo negative of Will's, his facial feature's coloring surprisingly so as well. "It's the Archangel," the crowd seemed to whisper, their eyes flashing between the boy and Will.

"Want to duel?" The boy said simply, a pleasant look on his face. "I've seen that you are quite adept at such a skill."

"Oh, I was just leaving." Will said coyly, turning around. He stopped short when a screen popped up in front of him, another duel request pending. "But I could possibly fit in another one." Accepting the duel from the strange boy, Will looked behind him.

Casually, the boy drew a wicked sharp blade from his side, which was engraved with silver wings. The hilt, as silver as the blade, was fitted perfectly in the boy's hand as if it had been made especially to his measurements. With a respective dip of his head, he smiled, his silver eyes twinkling as he stepped back and got into position. "Good luck and may the best swordsman win."

"Oh, honestly." Will laughed sharply. "We don't need to duel to know the answer to that."

When the timer hovering above them rang, Will leapt forward, hurtling at the boy with his sword. Daring out of the way, the boy hit Will in the back with his sword, health points dwindling down to light green. With a slash of his sword, Will whirled around, aiming right for the boy's head. At almost an inch away from his neck, the boy ducked the sword, batting it away with his own.

Perfectly in sync with timed attacks, Will gave his hardest while the boy looked like he was blocking and attacking effortlessly. With bright eyes and a focused expression, the silver boy hardly flinched when sparks flew just a hairbreadths away from his eyes. The boy, Will noted, was fast. Too fast, almost, with complete concentration and flawless timing. There was something strange and robotic about his movements, the sword acting as if it were merely an extension of his arm rather than a weapon.

Whirling behind Will, the boy caught him from behind, locking his arm around his neck and pressing the tip of the sword into Will's back. "The word _is _true. You are pretty good." The boy observed, hardly out of breath. "With the right training, you would shape up just fine." Turning to the crowd and keeping the sword against Will's spine, the boy smiled. "Go on. There's nothing more to see."

To Will's surprise, the crowd dispersed reluctantly, looking at the silver boy as if he were the god of the town. Struggling to get out of the headlock, Will hissed angrily. "What kind of sick game is this?"

"The question you should be asking is, what kind of sick game have I dragged myself into? Chances are, you're one of those players who think they're on top of the world." The boy murmured, his tone light though his words were drawled and stern. "You have great potential, but I'm sure you know that." Pulling away, the boy circled Will to the front, a slight smile on his mouth. "You are?"

With a deep scowl, Will glared at the boy, his blue eyes dark with embarrassment and frustration. "Why should I tell you?"

"I have a feeling that you and I could be friends. Guild members, more like." The boy said, his smile broadening.

"If I must, it's Will."

"Pleasure to meet you, Will." The boy slid his sword back into it's sheath. "I'm the Archangel, well, as the town members call me. They make up names in this game for people they consider good at fighting. It's a pity so many people focus on weapon skills rather than other things as well."

"Archangel?" Will snorted, a sneer in his voice. "Do I have to call you that stupid name?"

"Of course not. If you want to know, my name is James, but you can call me Jem." Jem answered, his teeth gleaming as he grinned. "Everyone who knows me personally calls me that."

"Well, then that doesn't make your nicknames very special, do they?"

"It's not something special. It's just merely a name that stuck, both of them...Though I didn't particularly choose to be called the Archangel." Crossing his arms, Jem looked at him curiously. "So, are you already in a guild?"

"A temporary one," Will answered, looking up at where Sophie had been just a few moments ago. "Just to help train this one girl."

"I've never been one for crowds, though I don't mind meeting new people. Where is she?" Jem asked, looking around for someone. Will turned away from him, hiding an irritated expression.

"I haven't the slightest clue. Besides, I never said I wanted to be in a guild with you."

Ignoring Will, Jem tilted his head to the side. "Is that her?" He gestured at Sophie, who was standing timidly by a shop. He thought for a moment, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "S-So...Sophie?" He inquired, turning to Will for confirmation. "Is her name Sophie?"

"How did you-"

"Probably heard her name before." Jem lied, pushing his silvery hair from his face. "Well, seeing as you don't want to be in a guild, I guess I'll be on my way." Facing the other direction and walking slowly, Jem pulled the white hood over his face. "Farewell, Will. I hope we meet-"

"Wait." Will interrupted, moving forward and taking Jem's wrist. "I could use some help training Sophie. She's as daft as a rock."

Pausing, Jem looked back at Will, his face serious and eyes neutral. "Of course. It would be my pleasure."

**~~ooo~~**

Sharpening his blade, Jem looked at Will thoughtfully. Walking towards Jem, Will tossed him an apple, which he deftly caught before it hit the ground. Saying his thanks to Will, Jem set his sword on the ground, biting into the apple as he stood up. Raising an eyebrow suspiciously at Jem, Will frowned. _No one was usually this helpful on video games. It has to be a trap._ Either way, Will felt as if people were following him and knew that, if any jealous players decided to come after him, he wouldn't be strong enough to fight them off...Not that he was about to admit that.

"You've almost got it." Jem reassured Sophie, taking her bow gently and showing her how to hold it. "This way, it's more balanced and less likely to waver."

"Good lord, Jem. You look like an NPC by the way you teach and act, you know that?" Will called out tiredly, leaning back onto the grass. Sitting back down beside Will, Jem dropped his smile, looking away from him.

"Well, NPCs can't make their own decisions and I _want _to help you both. Doesn't that give me credit enough?" Jem said softly, drawing a dagger from his belt. Throwing it, it hit the tree on the target that Sophie was aiming at, quivering in the middle.

"Why did I invite you to the guild again?"

"I assumed it was on the spur of the moment."

"It was at the peak of my stupidity."

"Whatever you would like to say."

"I'm tired."

Jem gave him an inquisitive stare. "Are you always pessimistic?"

"No." Will rolled onto his side, hugging his sword to his chest as if it were a pillow that a small child might sleep with. "What's your real name...Like in the real world?"

Stiffening, Jem gave him a wide eyed glance at the words 'real world' before relaxing slightly, fidgeting nervously. "Jem _is _my name. In the real world as well, I mean." Pulling up his menu, Jem flipped through a few things. Looking over, Will furrowed his eyebrows.

"You have icons that I don't have...Ones that I've never heard of and never seen on anyone else's. What is character forma-"

"Nothing." Jem said quickly, shutting his menu off. "Probably a bug." Taking another bite of his apple, Jem leaned his back against the tree. Jem blinked, and, for a moment, Will swore he could see a slight reflection of wiring and computer numbers in his eyes. "Why the sudden change of heart in asking me into the guild?" He queried again.

"It's safer." Will said plainly, shrugging. "The more people, the better."

Giving him a measured look, Jem rested his head on his hand. "Is it?"

**Author's Note: To Hearts With Love- Beta players are the ones that test out the game and get a feel of it before it is released publically.**

**AND this is not going to be a SOPHIEXWILL OR ANYTHING story (as I said in the 2nd chapter) They are just friends...ish. That's it.**


End file.
